How to reach Africa's highly unbanked population has been a conundrum lenders have been attempting to crack for years. However, with telecommunications companies leading the way, 'cashless banking' through pre-paid cards or mobile phones is going a long way to solving this problem.

Hopes are high that if Mozambique's new administration can cut through the bureaucracy and corruption that has beset the country since it attained independence in 1975, mining investments could set it on the path to riches.

Global instability is nothing new, but the past few years have seen numerous flashpoints come to the fore around the world. This leaves many companies in a quandary over whether to stay in an unsettled location, how to insure themselves, and how to keep the locals on side should they choose to stay put. 

The availability and connectivity of mobile phones in Africa has resulted in a hike in telecommunications investment in the continent in recent years, coupled with an explosion in innovation. But, asks Barbara Njau, is this boom sustainable?